ALBION, Mich. – Albion College came an out away from notching a win in the opening game of its Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association baseball series with Kalamazoo College. The Britons were unable to close game one, however, and walked off Champions Stadium at Frank Joranko Field with 5-3 and 15-4 losses.
Albion is 7-6 overall and Kalamazoo improved to 9-2. The teams will completed the series with a 2 o'clock doubleheader at Kalamazoo.
Game 1
Albion got to Kalamazoo starter Ryan Orr in the second, scoring twice. Jordyn Finney singled, advanced to second on a sacrifice by Joe Turnbull and scored on James Spilko's single. Riley Stesiak scored later in the inning by stealing home.
Albion made a couple of important defensive plays to support pitcher Mitch Shedlowsky and take a 2-0 lead to the seventh inning. The Britons turned a double play and Finney threw out a runner trying to steal in the fifth. Ian Kobernick led off the sixth with a double and he advanced to third with one out. He was stranded when Mitch VanKoevering struck out and Alex Fultz grounded to second base.
Kalamazoo scored all five runs with two out in the seventh. Zach Prystash scored the tying run on a wild pitch and Jack Clark followed with a two-run double.
Shane Lindemann provided a RBI in the seventh and Albion brought the tying run to the plate, but the rally fizzled when Orr retired the side with hid fifth strikeout of the game.
Shedlowsky finished with eight strikeouts.
Game 2
Kalamazoo scored three times in four different innings.
Wyman singled, walked and produced two RBI for the Britons. TJ Bowers also collected a RBI.
Get the latest information on the team by following @BritonsBaseball on Twitter. General athletics news can be found @gobrits on Twitter or Albion College Athletics on Facebook